Arrow gun



y 3, 1965 c. D. HOFF ARROWGUN Filed Aug. 17, 1962 INVENTOR CHESTER D. HOFF,

ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent O Filed Aug. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 217,684 3 Claims. (Cl. 12422) This invention relates to an arrow gun and has as its primary object the provision of an improved means for propelling an arrow or similar elongated projectile for hunting, sport, target practice, or the like.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which includes a guide tube or barrel for directing the flight of the arrow.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a device which may be readily and expeditiously held in one hand while the arrow is drawn and guided by the other.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of this character including means at one end of the barrel for directing the point or tip of the arrow thereinto.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of this character which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efiicient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of arrow gun embodying features of the instant invention as viewed from the rear or breech;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end elevational view of the device of FIGURE 1 as viewed from the right or muzzle end thereof.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, the gun of the instant invention is generally indicated at and includes a hand grip 11 which may be comprised of any desired material, such as wood, plastic, metal or the like, and a long barrel 12. The term long used in the claims indicates an equality of length between the arrow and the barrel. Hand grip 11 has secured to and along the top or upper portion thereof a sleeve 13 into which the barrel 12 is inserted, the barrel being secured in position by means of spaced apart spot welds 14 or such other means as will not impair the smooth interior of the barrel. The rear or breech end of barrel 12 is outwardly widely flared as at 15, to provide a guide annulus for an arrow 16 which is inserted into the device from the rear or breech end thereof. The inside diameter of the distal end of the flare is desirably about twice the inside diameter of the barrel. The stock 11 may be suitably roughened as at 17a and serrated as at 17 along its forward edge to provide a secure hand grip.

Secured to the top of stock 11 as by means of rivets 18 or the like is the flat shank 19 of a forwardly extending spring steel hook or guard 20, the 180 rebent top of which (FIG. 1) is vertically closely spaced as at 21 from the underside of barrel 12. Hook is adapted to retain a heavy duty elastic band 22 positioned about the stock 11 in a position which, during firing, is approximately parallel to and closely adjacent the barrel. The heavy duty elastic band may be threaded within the hook 20 by stretching a portion of the band, thus making it thinner than in its unstressed condition, and moving the stretched portion past the small space 21. When the band is then ice released, that is not stretched in a portion, the band assumes its normal thickness, which is greater than the space 21 between the top of the hook and the underside of the barrel. The band thus threaded or secured may be described as releasably secured within the hook or releasably secured to the adjacent hand grip. The band may, of course, be inserted within the hook or released therefrom, merely by springing the hook away from the barrel to increase the magnitude of the gap sufficient to pass an unstretched or unstressed portion of the band. In firing the device the arrow may be quickly and easily inserted through the widely flared end 15 of the tube or barrel 12 and the elastic stretched, as indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 1, to a desired extent. The stock or hand grip 11 may be held in one hand of the marksman while the elastic and its associated arrow may be retracted with the other, the barrel 12 directed toward the target, and the elastic released to propel arrow 16 through barrel 12 at a relatively high velocity, and with a high degree of accuracy.

The spring steel hook 20 serves to retain the elastic band 22 when the device is not in use.

If desired, suitable sights of conventional design may be positioned on top of the barrel, and such other refinements made as may be necessary or desirable.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved arrow gun, which accomplishes all the objects of this invent-ion, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An arrow gun comprising a handgrip,

a long barrel open at both ends and secured completely above and along the top of said handgrip,

a single open hook with a longitudinally forwardly extending horizontal shank secured to the forward top portion of the handgrip, and having a monolithic substantially upwardly rebent curved portion directed towards the rear,

the top horizontal end of the curved portion presenting a small vertical clearance with the underside of the barrel,

and an endless elastic band loosely and completely surrounding the top of the handgrip and having its forward portion within the space bounded by the handgrip, the barrel, and the curved portion of the hook,

the rearward band portion, when surrounding the handgrip, adapted to be engaged by the butt end of an arrow having its front end within said barrel,

whereby extension and release of said band propels the arrow through the barrel.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the rear or breech end of said barrel, adjacent the handgrip, is provided with a widely-outwardly flared tapered flange.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein the barrel is secured to the handgrip by means of a 7 completely encircling sleeve of approximately the same interior cross-section as the outside of the barrel,

the sleeve being secured to the rear of the barrel by longitudinally spaced apart welds,

the sleeve being coextensive in length with the top of the grip, and secured thereto along said length.

(References on following page) 

1. AN ARROW GUN COMPRISING A HANDGRIP, A LONG BARREL OPEN AT BOTH ENDS AND SECURED COMPLETELY ABOVE AND ALONG THE TOP OF SAID HANDGRIP, A SINGLE OPEN HOOK WITH A LONGITUDINALLY FORWARD EXTENDING HORIZONTAL SHANK SECURED TO THE FORWARD TOP PORTION OF THE HANDGRIP, AND HAVING A MONOLITHIC SUBSTANTIALLY 180* UPWARDLY REBENT CURVED PORTION DIRECTED TOWARDS THE REAR, THE TOP HORIZONTAL END OF THE CURVED PORTION PRESENTING A SMALL VERTICAL CLEARANCE WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BARREL, 